Abstract #146

# 146
Salmonella Dublin antibodies in bulk-tank milk on U.S. dairy operations.
Jason E. Lombard*1, Belinda S. Thompson2, Paul D. Virkler2, Bettina Wagner2, R. Camilla Kristensen1, Charles P. Fossler1, 1USDA:APHIS:VS:Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health, Fort Collins, CO, 2Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Bulk-tank milk was collected and tested for antibodies to Salmonella Dublin during the National Animal Health Monitoring System’s Dairy 2014 study. Information regarding management practices and dairy-cow health and productivity was also collected via 2 face-to-face interviews. One objective of the Dairy 2014 study was to estimate the herd-level prevalence of Salmonella Dublin antibodies and associated factors. A single bulk tank sample was collected from 230 operations from March through July 2014. After adjusting for study design and incorporating weighting procedures, estimates indicated that 8.0% of dairy operations had Salmonella Dublin antibodies present in bulk-tank milk. A higher percentage of operations with 500 or more cows (39.2%) had bulk-tank antibodies compared with operations with 100–499 cows (2.1%), and 30–99 cows (1.0%). In the West region (CA, CO, ID, TX, WA), 52.1% of bulk tanks were antibody positive, and in the East region [IA, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, NY, OH, PA, VT, VA, WI] 2.8% of operations were antibody positive. Although bulk tanks in closed herds were not at lower risk of being antibody positive, bulk tanks on a higher percentage of operations that reared heifers offsite (20.6%) were antibody positive compared with bulk tanks on operations that did not raise heifers offsite (6.0%). In addition, bulk tanks on operations that reared heifers offsite and commingled heifers with cattle from other operations were at higher risk of being antibody positive (28.0%) compared with bulk tanks on operations in which heifers did not have contact with other cattle at the offsite facility (3.2%). Operations with Salmonella Dublin antibodies detected in bulk-tank milk had rolling herd average milk production of 10,764 kg compared with 9,672 kg for operations in which antibodies were not detected. Operation-level mortality of pre-weaned and weaned heifers did not differ by Dublin result. Results suggest that large operations, operations in the West and operations that raise heifers offsite are more likely to have Salmonella Dublin antibodies detected in milk.

Key Words: Salmonella Dublin, bulk milk, prevalence